


Wrought Iron

by TheSopherfly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Arc Reactor, Banter, F/M, First Kiss, Light Romance, Magic, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Steampunk, Warlocks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:41:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSopherfly/pseuds/TheSopherfly
Summary: It wasn’t success Tony craved. It was invention. Innovation. To create something incredible that didn’t yet exist, just because he knew it was possible. In the last few years, he’d worked through several such projects, and he’d come to the end of his list. There was just one project left. The Iron Man.~Steampunk AU. Tony Stark, inventor and expert in all things mechanical, calls on Stephen Strange, a well known Warlock, to help him meld metal and magic to create an Iron Man.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Doctor Strange

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art for “Wrought Iron”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260714) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> This story was inspired by Cruria's lovely art, which can be found [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260714)!
> 
> This is a Steampunk AU. I've intentionally left a lot of details to the imagination, including the full description of the Steampunk Iron Man suit - the art that accompanies this story is a great starting point for imagining for yourself what everything looks like. :)
> 
> Thanks to [Cruria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cruria/pseuds/Cruria) for being a great collaborator and thanks to [TheSpaceCryptid](https://thespacecryptid.tumblr.com/) for beta reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony calls on Doctor Strange to help him forge a connection between the Iron Man and its wearer.

The giant clock built into the ceiling struck eight, and Tony looked up from his work to watch the gears move the huge mechanical hands. 

During the day, the remarkable piece of machinery acted as a clock and a sundial - during the night, it offered him an incredible view of the stars. He stared up, searching for a few constellations before turning in his chair. Behind him, floor to ceiling windows looked out onto the city’s largest park. It acted as a border between the city center and the industrial district, spanning five miles across. It was a wonderful place to walk and think. 

The city was beautiful this time of night, Tony thought. He glanced out the windows, the view of the park path lined with trees as impressive as ever, the red leaves reflecting the amber light from the lamps. Of all the places he’d lived, Breymery City was his favorite. The architecture was unparalleled, perfectly melding the Victorian and industrial styles; the streets and skies were sensibly laid out and easy to travel; Warlocks, Creatures of the Night, Shapeshifters, and regular people lived together and worked together in near-total cooperation. Breymery had invested in its infrastructure and in its citizens, and Tony had seen fit to capitalize on the city’s opportunities, moving Stark Industries to its new location in the industrial district.

Stark Industries had flourished in Breymery, and Tony had found it all too easy to build upon his father’s success. He’d pushed the company to new heights, making it more profitable with better products that benefited from a better market. At the same time, he’d raised wages and offered a robust benefits package, encouraging the brilliant minds of Breymery to join in the work of Stark Industries. With the company profitable and new management taking over operations, Tony had had time to invent so many new things he could scarcely count. Of course, he never forgot an invention - it was almost as if they were his children - but if anyone ever asked him to make a list of everything he’d created, he’d be thankful for Pepper’s careful record keeping.

Tony’s personal contributions to the field of renewable energy now powered much of the world he lived in. The city drew its energy from generators and reactors, and the lamps that lined the streets ran on renewable electricity rather than burning oil. He’d created his own line of flying machines, making the old-world dirigibles obsolete (though they were still used for novelty travel). He was surrounded by Stark machines and contraptions, tangible reminders of his success. 

And yet, Tony wanted more.

It wasn’t success Tony craved. It was invention. Innovation. To create something incredible that didn’t yet exist, just because he knew it was possible. In the last few years, he’d worked through several such projects, and he’d come to the end of his list. There was just one project left. The Iron Man.

Tony turned his chair again, then opened his drawer and drew out several blueprints, setting them down side by side on his desk. His eyes flitted between each, taking in their details. It had been months since he’d allowed himself to look at these plans, and even longer since he’d dared to dream that this metal man might become a reality. He traced a line of ink with two fingers, following it as it flowed from the top of the paper to the bottom, over helmet and chest plate down to booted feet. 

It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to work on the Iron Man sooner. He’d had the funds. He’d had the time. He’d had the materials and the space. But he’d needed one critical component that until now, he had been missing: a way to connect man and machine. There were no mechanical means that met his expectations. So Tony had finally decided to turn to magical ones.

On Pepper’s recommendation, Tony had written to a well-known Warlock, Doctor Stephen Strange. Tony hated to believe that magic was the piece missing from his equation, but what he hated even more was the idea that he might be closing himself off from opportunity by refusing to invite a Warlock to look at the plans. A consultation couldn’t hurt. Besides, Strange had seemed intrigued by the idea, and a little enthusiasm about his project from outside the Stark Industries family might do Tony some good.

Strange’s calendar had been almost as difficult to work around as Tony’s had been during his days as acting CEO. Still, they’d agreed on a date and a time, and now it was up to Tony to prepare. He’d already had his materials sent to his workshop, which took up the entire ground floor of the Stark Industries building. He’d also drawn up new sketches and schematics that better represented what he wanted to build. He’d only wanted the old blueprints as a reminder, really. He would use them as models when it came to the Iron Man’s overall style.

Smiling a little to himself at the prospect of making progress on the Iron Man after so long, Tony gathered up the blueprints and tucked them away into the bag attached to his belt. He picked up his Stark Cane from where it leaned against the desk - he had plans for the multi-tool inside it - and headed for the stairs to the lower level, whistling as he walked. 

~

Tony completed the Iron Man in less than a week. In the few days that followed, he tinkered with the suit, furbishing it, adding flair and making enhancements. When at last the day of his appointment with Doctor Strange arrived, Tony waited impatiently in his office, fingers drumming on his desk.

The clock finally chimed, and the gears clicked and spun, the shadow on the floor shifting with the hour. Three-o’clock. Tony smiled when he heard the knock on the door. Right on time. As if a Warlock of Strange’s caliber would be anything but punctual. Come to think of it, Strange had probably teleported here. Hard to be late with magic to take you anywhere at any time.

“Come in,” Tony called.

The door opened gently, and Strange entered, waving a hand to close the door behind him. Showing off, maybe? Or was his use of magic purely habitual? Tony took in the man’s appearance. Streaks of silver swept through the hair at his temples, and his goatee was as meticulously well-coiffed as Tony’s. Strange had paired what Tony recognized as standard Warlock attire - a long tunic belted at the waist, with various wraps and buckles, as was the fashion in Breymery City - with a bright red cloak. That was certainly unique. The high collar complemented his sharp features, and the garment rippled as he walked, almost as if it were enchanted. Tony narrowed his eyes, intrigued.

“Dr. Strange,” Tony said, crossing in front of his desk so that they were face to face. “We meet at last.”

Strange’s firm handshake had Tony blinking in surprise. He remembered reading the reports of Strange’s injury, how it had damaged the muscles and tendons and nerves in the man’s palms and fingers beyond repair. Had Strange’s magic saved him? Or did it simply allow him to operate as though his injury didn’t exist?

“Mr. Stark. It’s a pleasure.” Strange’s voice was low and warm, and his icy blue eyes sparkled. It was only then that Tony realized Strange was hovering, his feet a few inches above the ground. Perhaps Strange lacked awareness of his own tendency to use magic at every opportunity. Tony, always impressed by even the smallest displays of magical power, didn’t mind. 

“Thank you so much for meeting me,” Tony said, releasing Strange’s hand. 

Strange nodded in acknowledgment. “To say your proposal was interesting would be an understatement. I was surprised you chose me as your collaborator.”

“Word has it you have an eye for detail.”

“That I do.” Strange glanced briefly up at the ceiling, noticing for the first time the sound of mechanical gears as they moved ever so slightly. “Did you build this?”

“Yes. Surprisingly challenging to combine a clock and a sundial.”

“And yet somehow you managed.” Strange stared for another few seconds, then returned his attention to Tony. “So. You want to build an iron man.”

“Actually,” Tony said. “I’ve already built her. Would you like to see?”

Strange barely reacted, but a small twitch at the corner of his eyes telegraphed amusement. He inclined his head in agreement. “Lead the way.”

Their path to the basement took them down several flights of stone stairs, though Tony wondered if Strange’s feet ever touched the ground. Electric lights on strings illuminated their way down the final flight of stairs and into the large open room that was Tony’s workshop. Placed in the center, supported by thin wires hung from the ceiling, was the Iron Man. Strange approached it slowly. Tony had been right - Strange's feet were still barely skimming the floor. 

“This is…” Strange trailed off, circling the suit, reaching out to touch, crouching to get a better view of the lower half. “Impressive. I had no idea I’d be looking at a finished product.”

“I thought it might be easier to work with than blueprints and plans.” If Tony was honest, it had been more of a compulsion than a desire to make their collaboration easier. He wouldn’t tell Strange that. Maybe Strange already knew. “I need a way for the rider - me - to communicate with the parts. The reactor can provide the power. It’s the connection between man and machine that I’m missing.”

“Hmm.” Strange hummed, examining the arc reactor, then floating backwards to take in the suit’s full appearance, as if he meant to draw it from memory later. “Very well. I’ll do some research.”

“Do you need any of the blueprints, or-”

“I have all I need.” Strange turned around, meeting Tony’s eyes. “Thank you, Mr. Stark, for this rare opportunity. I’ll be in touch soon.”

Strange waved one hand, and an orange circular portal emerged in front of him. He stepped through, and he and the portal disappeared.

~

“Mr. Stark,” Strange said as he appeared in Tony’s workshop a week later. “I think I’ve come up with a solution.”

Tony jumped, dropping his hammer gracelessly on the floor. He cursed under his breath, calming himself before saying, “Strange, you _can’t_ just pop in unannounced like that. Scared me half to death.”

“I’m sorry,” Strange said, his feet still not touching the floor as he floated toward Tony. “Where I come from, everyone is accustomed to people appearing and disappearing at a moment’s notice.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not. So please, next time, could you send word that you’ll be stopping by?”

Strange smiled, amused. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” Tony reached down and picked up the hammer, setting it down on the workbench. “Now. What’s this about a solution to our problem?”

“Yes.” Strange looked excited, his eyes bright. “It turns out you were right. There is a way for me to enchant the armor to connect to the wearer, body and mind.” He waved his hand, and three large spellbooks appeared. Tony tried not to gawk as they floated slowly down onto the workbench, each opening to a specific page. “A series of spells. From a series of books. It’s a complicated combination.”

“Not too complicated for you, I imagine.”

Strange shook his head. “No. Not too complicated for me.”

It took Tony twenty minutes to assemble the armor around himself. With every piece in place, he leaned back against the wall, letting it take some of the weight. The arc reactor was warm against his chest, the rest of the metal cold and hard against his skin.

“How long will it take?” Tony asked.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“These enchantments have never been combined like this before. At least, not to my knowledge. And I’ve only ever performed one of them myself.”

That did not fill Tony with confidence. “So let me get this straight. Not only do you not know how long this will take, but it has the potential to go horribly wrong?”

Strange pursed his lips. “A very slight potential.”

Tony sighed. “I’m not going to ask you for the odds. I’m sure it’ll only make me nervous.” Of course, Strange was only asking of him what Tony asked of everyone else in his life - blind faith. Almost all of Tony’s theories had been unproven until he’d tested them, and he never conducted his tests in any kind of controlled environment. With Tony Stark, it was all or nothing. It stood to reason that with Tony Stark and Doctor Strange, the same was true.

“Alright,” Tony agreed, taking a deep breath and trying to convince himself to relax. Tension and excitement tangled together in his gut, and he willed away the tightness in his muscles. “Let’s get started, then.”

Strange began to speak in another language, beautiful and incomprehensible. His eyes were focused, his hands steady. Lulled by the words, Tony felt himself growing tired. He wasn’t sure if was drifting to sleep, or if Strange had talked him into a trance. The edges of his vision blurred, appearing blue and gold, like a crackling fire or a bolt of lightning. He blinked, then squeezed his eyes shut as the plates of the armor began to tremble and shift around him. He felt tension and heat, and then suddenly there was just a breath of space between him and the iron of the suit, the pieces tethered to him by some invisible force. It took him several seconds to realize Strange had stopped speaking.

Tony lifted his palm. The metal fingers responded in time with his flesh ones, his hand moving in front of him. He bent his knees, crouching and rising with no resistance. He turned his head to one side, then the other, then glanced down at his own iron-clad body in wonder and surprise. 

“It worked.” 

~


	2. The Iron Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony takes the newly enchanted Iron Man for a test run and discovers something interesting. Pepper chides Tony for being reckless. Tony does more reckless things.

_“It worked.”_

Tony looked up. Somehow, even with slits for eyes, he had a better view now than he'd had without the armor, his periphery enhanced, the detail sharper. His body felt heavy and light all at once. It took energy to move the machine, but not additional strength. It was a strange, incredible sensation. He wondered if he could fly as Strange had - and suddenly, having only thought about it for a fleeting moment, he was hovering in the air. He quite nearly hit the ceiling as he flew clumsily toward the stairs, ascending them without touching the walls or the ground. This was - Tony didn’t have words for what this was.

Forgetting all about Strange, Tony found the first door to the outside and charged through it, nearly breaking it off its hinges as he emerged into the night. He didn’t yet know how to control his strength. The suit had power, more power than he’d expected. It was more than just the arc reactor. Tony could only assume Strange’s magic had something to do with that.

Tony paused as he pushed toward the park, stabilizing himself in midair. He was flying. His suit worked, and he was _flying_. He wondered how fast he could go. Now was as good a time as ever to find out. He didn’t have to think about it - it was as easy as asking his body to walk forward. He wanted the suit to go fast, and suddenly he was racing through the night, the iron encountering little resistance as he shot forward, weaving between the red trees of the park until he emerged at one of the park’s entrances near the city center. 

“Wow,” Tony said aloud to himself. He could go _fast_. He wondered just how fast he had been going. 

“Two hundred kilometers per hour,” came a voice in his ear. 

Tony jumped - or he would’ve jumped if his feet had been on the ground. The repulsors sputtered, and he struggled for a moment to maintain his balance.

“What the hell was that?”

The voice spoke again. “You wanted to know how fast you were going.”

Tony hadn’t wondered about his speed aloud. That meant whatever this was, it was inside his head reading his mind. He tried to calm his racing heart, lowering himself down to the ground and bracing himself on a park bench with one iron hand. “Who the hell are you?”

“My name is Jarvis, sir,” the voice responded.

Tony steadied himself. The voice had a name. The voice was holding a conversation with him. This had to have something to do with Strange’s enchantment, too. “Jarvis,” Tony said. “Okay, Jarvis. Care to explain how you managed to get inside my head?”

A pause. “I am unsure. I do not recall a time prior to my existence.”

“Of course you don’t.” Tony took another breath. This wasn’t so strange, was it? The suit was thrumming with magic, he could feel it - and magic could do all sorts of insensible things. “What are you supposed to do, Jarvis?”

“I am here to help you, sir. I monitor your status and your vital signs, and I monitor the health of the suit as you utilize it. I can also help you use the suit and its abilities to their full potential.”

“Full potential? You mean I’m not already doing that?”

“No, sir. For example, you are able to achieve higher speeds than those in your most recent flight. There is also a variety of information you can display inside your helmet. You were unable to access it because you did not know it was there.”

Was it possible not to know half of the things the suit was capable of when it was operating as a part of him? It was easy enough to tell the suit what to do. Was Tony now limited not by his own body, but by his imagination? There was clearly more exploration left to be done. His mind spun thinking about the possibilities. 

“Jarvis,” Tony called, launching himself back into the air. “Can you help me figure this machine out?”

“Indeed I can, sir.”

“Good.” Tony grinned. Not only was the Iron Man a resounding success, but now he had a man on the inside to tell him how it worked. “We’ll start tomorrow. For now, I think I need to get back to my Warlock friend. I’ve left him alone in my workshop for far too long.” 

“Of course, sir. Shall I chart a course to the Stark workshop?”

“Yes,” Tony said, imitating Jarvis’s too-polite tone and wondering if whatever kind of intelligence Jarvis was could be offended by such a thing. “That would be lovely.”

~

“I thought we weren’t supposed to appear and disappear at a moment’s notice, Stark,” Strange said as Tony landed in front of him, badly, with a thunk. 

“I’m sorry,” Tony managed, scrambling back to his feet and flipping the faceplate up. “I have a problem with impulse control. I’m working on it.” He struggled to catch his breath, leaning on the workbench as the armor split open in the middle to allow him to step out of it. “There’s someone - a voice in my head. Talking to me while I’m in the suit.”

Strange frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s some sort of, I don’t know…” Tony searched for the word. “Artificial intelligence? Calls himself Jarvis. Seems to know things about the suit that I don’t. Things that your enchantment created.”

“Hmm.” Strange covered his mouth, his brow furrowed in thought. “That’s… interesting. And perhaps not entirely unexpected.”

“No? I have to admit, it wasn’t a feature _I_ was expecting.”

“The suit needed some kind of overarching control mechanism,” Strange said. “The enchantment must’ve generated - what did you call him? Jarvis? - while it was trying to forge a connection between you and the suit. Probably intended to make things easier to navigate.”

Tony supposed that made sense. The easiest thing for a human to understand was another human. He wondered, should his work with Strange continue, if he could use Jarvis for more than just the suit. If the enchantment could be stretched to encompass more, like some of the systems in his lab… Well. There was more experimentation to be done.

“Thank you, Strange.” Tony brushed damp hair out of his face and collapsed into a chair, smiling fiercely. “I think this might be the start of a beautiful partnership.”

~

Tony hadn’t gotten much sleep. He and Strange had spent most of the evening testing and observing the suit, with Strange giving instructions and making suggestions. Strange had returned home in the small hours of the morning, and after a brief rest, Tony had sent a note to Pepper asking her to come to the workshop to see their incredible results.

He’d left the message vague on purpose. He wanted the Iron Man to be a surprise. 

When Pepper arrived at his office, he all but herded her down the stairs.

“Alright, alright, you don’t need to push,” she said, quickening her pace. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he jumped in front of her to push open the glass door, watching her face as she stepped inside.

“ _Oh_.” 

It wasn’t often that Pepper was rendered speechless. Tony followed her as she approached the suit, keeping close. When she stopped in front of it, he was sure he could smell the vanilla of her shampoo. He tried not to let it distract him.

“The body is metal,” Tony said before Pepper found her voice. “The rest is magic. Powered by an arc reactor, or at least, partly. I’m not quite sure yet _how_ the magic and energy work together, I just know that they do.”

“It’s beautiful.” Pepper took it in, her appreciative gaze slowly turning apprehensive. “Tony. Don’t tell me you plan to _wear_ that thing.”

Tony winced. “I sort of already have.”

Pepper’s eyebrows rose. “Tony.” Her voice rang with disapproval.

“It’s not dangerous! Here, let me show you.” Tony stepped in front of her, and the suit split down the middle as if inviting him to step in. He turned around and walked backwards until his feet met the insides of the boots, and the suit assembled around him, metal covering him from head to toe. He took a couple of steps, then waved his arms, bringing his chin to rest on one fist in a humorous thoughtful pose. “See? I’m perfectly fine. I took it out flying last night.”

“Tony!” Pepper grabbed one of the rolled-up papers strewn over the workbench and whacked the side of his helmet. “With no safety checks? No tests?”

“The flight _was_ the test!” Tony protested. It hadn’t been a planned test, but that didn’t make it inherently unsafe, did it? He threw up his hands protectively, ducking as she made another swing. “Come on, it’s okay!” He flipped the faceplate up, the metal barely making a noise. “Look. I’m fine. See? No bruises.”

Pepper let out an exasperated sigh and set the paper down, giving him a look. “Your inability to assess risk is infuriating.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

“No you won’t.” 

“Hey, that’s not fair. I take your advice. Sometimes.”

“Not very often.” She took a step closer to him. “So. It really runs on power _and_ magic?”

Before he could answer, she reached out and placed her hand over the arc reactor. Tony blinked. He could’ve sworn that he could feel the heat of her palm on his chest. This enchantment was something else. “It does,” Tony said, his response delayed enough that Pepper had moved on to examining other parts of the suit. 

“How connected are you?” she asked. “Is it armor or is it like a second skin?”

What a good question. Tony closed his eyes, not sure he could tell the difference. “Both? I think? I’m still figuring it out.” 

“Fascinating.” Pepper traced her fingers over the shoulder and down the arm, stopping at Tony’s wrist. “So many different textures. You did good work with this one.”

“Thank you.” Pride traveled like lightning up Tony’s spine. “I wanted it to fit the style.”

“It does.” She reached up to touch the armor where it met his jaw. Tony shivered. Whenever he was this close to Pepper, he felt as though there was something between them, something warm and sharp, like electricity. He looked down and searched her face, watching as she explored the suit with her hands and her eyes.

“It’s incredible, Tony.”

He could feel his palms sweating underneath the gauntlets. Something compelled him to reach out and place a hand on her waist, careful to be gentle on account of the armor’s strength. “Have you ever thought that we might…” He trailed off, not sure whether he should say the words out loud.

“That we might... what?” Pepper asked. She tilted her head sideways, quizzical, almost teasing. “Be compatible?”

Tony nodded.

“You’ve never shown any interest in courting me,” Pepper said, a small frown line appearing between her brows. She rested her hand gently on his forearm, not pulling him closer, not pushing him away. One corner of her mouth curved up in a half-smile. “You’ve always been too in love with your machines.”

She was right. Since before he’d met her, he’d been preoccupied with his work. He should have prioritized whatever this was between them a long time ago. “That doesn’t mean I’m not interested,” he said. “It just means I’m not as smart as I say I am.”

Pepper laughed. “Tony Stark. You’re one of the smartest men in the world.”

“One of?”

“Hush.” Pepper rested her forehead against his. It only lasted a moment, but the brief contact was enough to keep him quiet. “If you want to court me, all you have to do is ask.”

She made it sound so simple. As if he could’ve asked the question any day for the last four years. But he couldn’t have. He’d never have felt bold enough. Even now, with something that sounded like permission, he was afraid of ruining whatever there was between them just by being himself. He took a deep breath, then let it out, relaxing his shoulders. “Miss Potts - Pepper.” He cleared his throat, not sure if it was a performative noise or a nervous one. “May I have your permission to court you?”

Pepper’s smile widened. “You may, Mr. Stark.”

Tony’s body flooded with relief. Despite her reassurance, he’d been half afraid she might say no. Then, before he could think better of it, he asked, “May I have your permission to kiss you?”

Pepper’s lips parted a fraction. Reflexively, Tony tightened his grip on her waist. She shifted closer. “Yes,” she said, softer this time. “You may.”

Afraid of losing his nerve, Tony leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Her mouth was warm and soft, and she moved against him eagerly, her arms sliding around his armored neck. He longed to twine his fingers in her hair - the suit obliged, the metal peeling away from his hand to allow him to thread his fingers through strawberry blonde locks.

After what felt like both an eternity and not nearly long enough, Tony pulled away. Pepper’s face was flushed, and he wondered if the same rosy blush had risen in his own cheeks. 

“That was-”

“Good,” Pepper agreed before Tony could finish the phrase. “Although next time, maybe we can try it without the armor.”

Tony shrugged his shoulders, apologetic. “Sorry,” he said.

Pepper only shook her head, smiling warmly before leaning in to kiss him again. 

~

It was a few days later that Tony decided to test the suit’s combat capabilities and weapons systems. Pepper thought it was smarter to test things before trying them out in the field. The least he could do was _attempt_ to follow her advice.

He decided to set up his test in one of Stark Industries’ offsite bunkers. He couldn’t ruin the solid concrete walls, and he wasn’t likely to hurt himself, either. Or so he hoped. “Alright, Jarvis,” he said as he donned the suit, stepping into the open space at the center of the bunker. “Weapons test one. Let’s go.” 

The nice thing about concrete was that he could measure each weapon’s effectiveness. How deep did the bullets bury themselves into the wall? How _much_ of an explosion did the explosive powder cause? How hard could he punch, hit, kick? He pummeled the westernmost wall of the room with impressive results, not stopping until he’d tried everything.

Well. Almost everything. There was one weapon he’d been aching to try. The most powerful, and arguably the most dangerous. The repulsors.

“Okay, J. Let’s try these at forty percent power.”

“Of course, sir.”

Tony held out a hand, palm open. He heard a high pitched sound as the repulsor collected power - then, he thrust his hand forward and a beam of light erupted from his hand, shooting toward the wall. He heard a crack and a crunch, and he stopped the stream of energy, watching as the concrete crumbled. He’d left a large hole, charred and black.

“Jarvis,” Tony said, adrenaline surging. “Let’s do seventy percent.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tony powered up the repulsor again. This time the gauntlet rattled and thrummed, and the power threw him back a few feet. Tony widened his stance, waiting a few more seconds before killing the power. A larger hole this time, with cracks in the concrete splintering out from the center. These were incredible. Far superior to any of the weapons he’d tested before. He could imagine that a blast like this might make metal melt. 

“What the hell,” he said, shaking the tension out of his body, then clenching and unclenching his fist. “Jarvis - let’s try full power.”

“Sir, I would advise against-”

“We’ll never know what she can do until we try, Jarvis. Full power.”

Jarvis did as he was told, and this time the wind up was much more intense. The high pitched whine turned into a growl, and when Tony threw his hand toward the wall, the force of it shot him backward. The beam switched direction, pointing at the ground, and then Tony was flung upward, his back slamming into the ceiling. The sounds of concrete cracking filled his ears, and an alarm bell sounded.

“Sir, if you do not disable the repulsor, there could be catastrophic damage to-”

Tony didn’t get to hear the rest. He cut the repulsor’s power, but it was too late. The ground beneath him began to split, pieces of the ceiling falling around him. He barely had time to cover his neck before chunks of dark grey rubble rained down around him, closing him in.

~

It took several minutes for Tony to regain consciousness. He lifted his head, his ears ringing. He breathed in and coughed, the rubble and the dust burning his throat even through the suit. 

“Stark! Stark, are you alright?” A voice, sounding far away but recognizable. Doctor Strange. “Damn it, Tony, where are you?”

“Over here,” Tony managed, trying and failing to sit up. Too much debris covering his chest. “Kinda stuck.” 

He hadn’t expected the concrete to fail completely. But then, he should’ve come to expect anything by now, especially when it came to the Iron Man. Tony watched in strangled awe as Strange made his way forward, pieces of concrete disintegrating in front of Tony’s eyes. When Strange got to him, immediately the crushing pressure eased. After a few seconds, the mess Tony had created had all but disappeared.

Tony breathed in, then out, wincing a bit as he did so. He was bruised, but it didn’t feel like anything was broken. That was good. The suit was as protective as it was powerful. He looked up at Strange, whose eyes were dark with concern. 

“Are you alright?” Strange asked. 

“Yeah,” Tony said, his voice rough. “I’m okay. Just a little beat up.”

“I can see that,” Strange said, completely deadpan. 

Tony's laugh came out closer to a cough. “How did you know I was in trouble?”

“Jarvis contacted me.”

Of course. Jarvis to the rescue. The more Tony came to know Jarvis, the more thankful he was that the enchantment had created him at all.

When Tony struggled to get to his feet, Strange reached out, offering an arm. Tony took it, pulling himself up. “What happened?” Strange asked. 

Tony wrinkled his nose, one eye nearly closing. “I apparently don’t know my own strength. Just gave it a little too much juice.” 

“Juice?”

“Energy. Power. Whatever you want to call it. I tried the repulsors at a hundred percent. It was a bad idea.”

“I see.” Strange looked Tony over. Even though Tony was still in the suit, Strange didn’t seem to like what he saw. “Miss Potts would insist I take you to a doctor.”

“I actually have a doctor on call,” Tony said. “A friend of mine. He may not appreciate being called on so late, but given the circumstances, I think he’ll forgive me.”

“Very well. Give me the address and I can take us there.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to teleport us?”

Strange sighed, then nodded. “It seems a sensible solution.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Tony said, delighted beyond what was probably considered acceptable. He wondered what Bruce would make of him appearing out of nowhere with a Warlock at such an hour.

Tony relayed Bruce’s address, and Strange moved into the center of the room, both arms outstretched to create the glowing orange portal.

Quickly, Tony flipped his faceplate back down. “Hey, Jarvis?” he whispered. 

“Yes, sir?”

“I’m glad you exist.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jarvis replied. He sounded remarkably affected, almost as if he were human. Could a non-corporeal intelligence experience emotion? An interesting question for another day.

“You’re welcome,” Tony said. Slowly, carefully, he stepped forward and followed Strange into the portal. 

~

Bruce had helped Tony with ice and ointments, and he’d had a good night’s sleep. Still, when Pepper had heard about his accident, she had been concerned enough to clear her schedule and visit him at home. Tony was not embarrassed to say that he didn’t mind the attention, especially from Pepper. Still, a part of him wondered who was courting whom.

“I promise, I’m fine,” Tony said as she handed him a mug of steaming tea. “It’s just some light bruising.”

He sat down in front of the fire, and she sat beside him, her eyes trained on the crackling flames. “You could’ve died, you absolute idiot.”

“Really? You’re scolding me? After I did exactly what you told me to do?”

Pepper raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t tell you to test your weapons all alone in a concrete bunker.” 

“I made an effort, at least,” Tony said, doing his best to look wounded. “But I admit, it may have gone a bit off the rails.”

Pepper’s expression softened. “Maybe,” she said. Gently, she reached over and brushed away the hair that had fallen into his face. “I’d tell you to be more careful, but I know you’d just ignore it.”

“I’m physically incapable,” Tony agreed. He wondered if she knew he was only partly joking. He took a sip from his mug, leaning to the left just far enough that his leg brushed against hers. “I don’t know how you live with me.”

“Well. It’d be much less fun living without you.” Her eyes met his, and their warmth nearly made him melt. “Just promise you’ll tell me before you test anything from now on?”

Tony smiled. That sounded more than fair. He sighed, leaning his head on her shoulder. “I promise,” he said. 

~


End file.
